McKee Foods Corporation is a privately held United States snack food manufacturer headquartered in Collegedale, Tennessee.[3] The corporation is the maker of the Little Debbie brand, Sunbelt granola and cereal, Heartland, and, as of 2013, Drake's.

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The son of McKee Foods’ founder O.D. McKee, Ellsworth McKee, retired from day-to-day operations in September 2012, but retains the position of company chairman.[2]

It was announced January 28, 2013, that McKee Foods would pay $27.5 million for Hostess Brands' Drake's brand, which includes Ring Dings, Yodels, and Devil Dogs products.[4] The bankruptcy court approved this purchase on April 9, 2013.[5]

As of 2013, McKee ships more than 900 million cartons of Little Debbie products.[6]

In the 1960s, company founders O.D. and Ruth McKee decided to name a product after one of their grandchildren, four-year-old Debbie. The original image of Debbie used on packaging and advertising was based on a black-and-white photo. Artist Pearl Mann of Atlanta created the original color artwork. Following instructions, she made the little girl look older, around 8 or 9.[8] Minor changes were made to the logo in 1985 and again in 2013.[6]

Drake's is a bakingcompany in Wayne, New Jersey, United States. Originally an independent company, Hostess owned Drake's from 1998 to 2012; McKee Foods acquired the Drake's line when Hostess liquidated in bankruptcy in 2012. The Drake's brand distributes snack cakes such as Ring Dings, Yodels, Devil Dogs, Yankee Doodles, Sunny Doodles, Funny Bones, and coffee cake. Their mascot is a smiling duck holding a spoon and wearing a chef's hat and neckerchief.

^"Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site - Sprint Cup Team News and Links - #47". Retrieved 29 October 2010. Little Debbie sponsorship note: The #47 team primary sponsor, Little Debbie snacks, is run by Seventh Day Adventists. From sundown Friday till sundown Saturday, the team has to cover all Little Debbie logos on the hauler, wear non-Little Debbie attire and remove all Little Debbie decal from the race car. (Autoweek, 3-16-2006)